
08/02/2025
In most countries, a 35-second delay would barely register. But in Japan, where punctuality is a national value, it's taken seriously—even on the lightning-fast Shinkansen bullet trains. When one train was delayed by just 35 seconds, the conductor issued a formal apology, and every passenger received a full fare refund as a gesture of respect and accountability.
This incident isn’t isolated—Japan’s rail system is world-famous for its near-perfect precision. The average delay for the Shinkansen is under 1 minute annually. Such discipline not only reflects efficiency, but also deep cultural reverence for others’ time—a principle that has made Japanese trains the global gold standard for reliability.